Shelikhov (Shelekhov), Grigory Ivanovich. “Russian Columbus” Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov

Municipal educational institution "Nizhnegridinsk secondary school"

Bolshesoldatsky district, Kursk region

"Ushakov Readings"

(Research work)

"Russian Columbus"

merchant-entrepreneur,

founder of Russian America.

Fedyukina Yulia 11th grade

Head: history teacher T.A. Anichkina

Fans of travel and the history of geographical discoveries should be doubly grateful to our Russian Columbuses, who not only discovered and explored unknown lands, but also left very interesting descriptions of their own travels.

Only the desire for the unknown and natural curiosity can explain their activities in an environment full of enormous hardships. In addition, they were driven by the realization that their actions lead to the exaltation of their native Fatherland. Studies by Russian travelers of the American shores in the 18th - 19th centuries. once again they proved “that glory will reach the Russians to all ends.”

Petrov Alexander Yurievich

Doctor of Historical Sciences,

Leading Researcher

Institute of World HistoryRAS

T
For our research work, we decided to take the activities of the outstanding Russian navigator and explorer of the sea spaces of the Far East, Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov.

Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov (1747 - 1795), an outstanding Russian traveler of the second half of the 18th century, came from among the Rila merchants.

R
od Shelikhov - ancient in Rylsk. In the scribe book compiled under Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich in 1621, which lists all the trading establishments of the city of Rylsk, the merchant Ivan Shelekh is mentioned, and in the scribe book of the Rylsk district, compiled in 1625 - 1626, when describing the lands and population of the village of Gruni, it says about the forest and hayfields of Frolka Shelikhov.

Secondary school building named after. G. I. Shelikhova

Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov was born in Rylsk in 1747 into the family of a merchant. He spent his childhood and youth in his hometown, where he helped his father in his trade. The house where the navigator was born has not survived. Now on this site there is the building and courtyard of secondary school No. 1 named after. G. I. Shelikhova (Lunacharsky St.).

One of Shelikhov’s houses is located on the corner of Uritsky and K. Liebknecht streets. In front of the house there is a memorial stone made of Baikal granite - a gift from the Siberian sister city of Shelekhov. Shelikhov's two-story house (corner of Uritsky and Karl Liebknecht streets) stands on land purchased by Grigory Shelikhov during his visit to Rylsk in 1788, but construction began no earlier than 1798, that is, after Shelikhov's death. Obviously, he could never live in this house. But Alexander the First stayed there during his last trip to the south in the fall of 1825 (in December of the same year, as is known, he died in Taganrog). In addition to the main house, an outbuilding facing Karl Liebknecht Street (house 28) has been preserved. The entire corner of Lenin and Dzerzhinsky streets is occupied by the Von Filimonov house (1870s, architect Karl Friedrichovich Scholz), clearly built with an eye on the St. Petersburg mansions of that time. In front of the entrance to the city park, opposite the Assumption Cathedral, a monument to Shelikhov was restored in 1957, erected before the revolution (1903) with funds collected through an all-Russian subscription, and destroyed immediately after the revolution.

Shelikhov House

Young Shelikhov in Rylsk and Kursk heard a lot from local merchants about the profitable trade of Siberian merchants in furs, about the discovery by brave Russian people of islands rich in fur-bearing animals in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean. Siberia beckoned to him.

In 1773, twenty-six-year-old Gregory left for Siberia. In Irkutsk he serves as a clerk for the merchant Golikov. In 1775, he married the young widow of a wealthy Irkutsk merchant, Natalya Alekseevna, and left for Okhotsk. Here he begins vigorous activity in organizing expeditions for hunting fur-bearing animals. From 1776, when Shelikhov sent the first ship for a fur-bearing animal, until 1783, when he himself went to sea, 10 campaigns are known in which the energetic and enterprising merchant from Rylsk took part.

The ships returned loaded with valuable furs. But unlike other industrialists, Shelikhov sought not only to enrich himself, but also to protect Russia’s interests in the Pacific Ocean. A bold and far-sighted plan for exploring and annexing newly discovered lands to Russia, their economic development and development, establishing permanent Russian settlements on these lands and educating the indigenous population is maturing in his head.

To implement the plan, Shelikhov entered into a company with a wealthy Irkutsk merchant, his former master Golikov. Having built three ships at the mouth of the Urak River: “Three Saints”, “St. Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess” and “St. Michael”, Shelikhov headed to the shores of Alaska on August 16, 1783 to found a Russian colony. On all three ships there were 192 “working people” - sailors and trappers.

IN Along with Shelikhov, his wife Natalya Alekseevna and two children also set off on a long voyage. This is a Russian woman who shared with her husband all the hardships of a long sea voyage in the harsh, little-explored northern latitudes of the Pacific Ocean. Shelikhov wrote about her with warmth and gratitude: “and being on the first galliot with my wife, who followed me everywhere and did not renounce all difficulties.”

P

Settlement of Grigory Shelikhov on Kodiak Island

Almost a year after leaving Okhotsk, on August 3, 1784, the ships, having overcome a number of obstacles, approached Kodiak Island - the final goal of the voyage. Here G.I. Shelikhov founded the first permanent Russian settlement.

Having established himself on Kodiak and having thoroughly studied the coast and interior of the island, in the spring of 1785 he began exploring and developing the coast of the American continent and

adjacent islands, establishing friendly relations with local residents who voluntarily transferred to Russian citizenship. On the coast and islands, Shelikhov built fortresses and erected crosses as a sign that these territories belonged to Russia.

Along with the exploration of the new region, its economic and cultural development was carried out. The beginning of agriculture and cattle breeding was laid, the population became familiar with the material and spiritual culture of the Russian people.

During his two years on Kodiak, G.I. Shelikhov firmly established himself on American soil. It was time to think about the affairs left in Siberia, about consolidating their rights with the Siberian administration, about the official recognition of Alaska, Kodiak and other adjacent islands as Russian possessions.

May 22, 1786 G.I. Shelikhov left Kodiak Island, heading to his native shores. On January 27, 1787, he arrived in Okhotsk, and in April of the same year - in Irkutsk. Here he presented the Irkutsk Governor General Jacobi with a description of his journey, a map of the explored lands and plans for fortresses (fortifications) erected to protect the colony he founded. The governor reported this to St. Petersburg, and Shelikhov was summoned to the capital.

Catherine II reacted favorably to Shelikhov's case. It was proposed to equip two expeditions to the Far East, and G.I. In 1788, Shelikhov was awarded a medal strewn with diamonds to be worn on a blue ribbon around his neck, a sword and a diploma, which allowed him to continue the work he had begun to develop new territories and annex them to Russia.

Returning to Irkutsk, Shelikhov developed energetic activities. He asks for government support for his enterprise and develops plans to establish trade relations with Japan, China, India, the Philippines and other countries. He comes up with bold plans to explore Siberia, the Pacific and Arctic oceans. From Irkutsk, Shelikhov directs the life of the first Russian colony in America, where the Shelikhovites are developing new and new territories, installing metal boards there with the succinct inscription “Land of Russian Dominion.”

In 1791, a small book by G.I. was published in St. Petersburg. Shelikhov entitled: “The Russian merchant Grigory Shelikhov’s wanderings from 1783 to 1787 from Okhotsk along the Eastern Ocean to the American shores and his return to Russia.” The drawing that opened the book showed G.I. Shelikhov and two American residents with whom he trades animal skins, and under the picture in large letters was typed a prophetic verse from the famous poem by Mikhail Lomonosov “Peter the Great”:

The Russian Columbuses, despising gloomy fate,

Between the ice a new path will be opened to the East,

And our power will reach America,

And that the glory of the Russians will reach all ends.

This book attracted everyone's attention, causing joy and jubilation. The residents of Irkutsk and Rylyan were especially happy about the success of the navigator. G.I. Shelikhov in his homeland was proclaimed “an eminent citizen of Rylsk.” This title was firmly assigned to him, and the new edition of his book, published in 1793, already had the title: “The first wanderings of the Russian merchant of the eminent Rylsky citizen Grigory Shelikhov...” In the same year, Shelikhov’s work was republished three times in German, and later - twice in English. Thus, a native of the small Russian town of Rylsk became a world famous navigator. The last years of G. I. Shelikhov’s life were filled with vigorous activity. He regularly sends expeditions to the American shores, fights with competitors, driving them out of fishing grounds. In 1790 - 1791, I. L. Golikov and Shelikhov established the North-Eastern, Unalashkin and Predtechensk companies to expand the fishery. In 1791, Shelikhov undertook the publication of his book, in which he spoke about all the details of the two-year voyage and about what he saw on the Aleutian Islands. For the first time, it described in detail the flora and fauna, as well as the life and customs of the Aleuts, Eskimos and Indians, and covered almost all aspects of their material and spiritual culture.

In the midst of his vigorous activity at the age of 48, Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov unexpectedly died on July 20, 1795 in Irkutsk, where he was buried. Death caught Shelikhov in the midst of business, preventing him from completing many plans. He died suddenly “in the middle of exercises that were so important to him, in full health and in the middle years of his life.” The suddenness and unclear circumstances of the death of a prominent merchant, who left a considerable inheritance, gave rise to a wide variety of rumors in Irkutsk. To this day, the death of Grigory Ivanovich is shrouded in secrecy.
On November 10, 1797, by imperial decree, Shelikhov’s widow and children “for the merits of her husband and father” were granted nobility “with the right to conduct trade.” The matter of further consolidating Russian acquisitions in Alaska was continued by Natalia Shelikhova. On her shoulders fell the heavy burden of managing a huge farm, and after the death of Grigory Shelikhov with his proxies, who reported directly to her.

N What was unusual for the merchant environment of that time in Natalia Alekseevna’s behavior was that she often conducted business negotiations on trade transactions on behalf of her husband. We can say that by the beginning of the 90s. XVIII century she developed her own relationships with many people who participated together with Grigory Shelikhov in trade and fishing operations. Most of her connections in the merchant and official world were her own acquisition, and not an inheritance from her husband.

Shelikhov was buried in Irkutsk in the Znamensky Convent opposite the church altar. In 1800, through the efforts of his wife, a marble monument with a bronze bas-relief of the deceased was erected at the grave.
On the monument erected on his grave the words are carved:

Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov,
Rylsky famouscitizen

Rylsk. Monument Gregory Shelikhov.

Then, after the main dates of his life, the epitaph of the famous Russian

poet G.R. Derzhavin, beginning with the following words:

Russian Columbus is buried here!

Crossed seas, discovered countriesunknown,

And it’s in vain that everything in the world is decay.
He set his sail on the heavenly ocean -
Seek heavenly treasures, not earthly ones...

Before his death, G.I. Shelikhov bequeathed 30 thousand rubles to the city of Rylsk. In accordance with the will of the deceased, a hospital and the Resurrection Church were built with this money in his homeland.

grave GregoryShelikhova.

Name G.I. Shelikhov, “the eminent citizen of Rila”, is immortalized on

geographical map of the world. A bay in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, a strait separating Kodiak Island from the Alaska Peninsula, one of the largest lakes in Alaska, the main harbor and bay on Cruz Island are named after him. Not far from Irkutsk, a new city grew up - Shelikhov.

The city of Shelekhov is located in the south of the Irkutsk-Cheremkhovo Plain, 20 km southwest of Irkutsk.
Arose in connection with the construction of an aluminum smelter.
Since 1956, the working village of Shelekhov. The name is in honor of the Russian merchant and explorer G.I. Shelikhova. In the 1956 decree on naming the village, the entrepreneur's surname was spelled incorrectly Shelekhov.
Population 48 thousand (2007).

From little Rylsk, located in the depths of Russia, where this amazing man was born and spent his youth, to the sea and oceans - thousands of miles. And at the same time, in the Far East and North America he was destined to play the role of the “Russian Columbus”.

We decided to complete our work with a crossword puzzle we compiled about the life and work of Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov.

How kingdoms fell at Catherine's feet,
Ros Shelikhov without troops without thunderous forces
Flowed into America through stormy abysses
And he conquered a new region for her and God.
Don't forget descendant!
That Ros, your ancestor, is loud in the East.

I.I. Dmitriev

ABOUT
answer:

Horizontally: 2. Rylsk. 4. Ivan. 5. Merchant. 7. Field. 10. Golikov.

12. Natalya. 14. Znamensky. 15. Voskresenskaya. 16. Columbus.

Vertically: 1. Pribilov. 3. Beringov. 6. Ekaterina. 8. Okhotsk. 9. Jacobi. 11. Alaska. 13. Kodiak.

Literature:

V. Prosetsky. Rylsk. Third edition, revised. Central Chernozem Book Publishing House. Voronezh, 1977

G.I. Shelikhov. Russian merchant Grigory Shelikhov's journey from Okhotsk along the Eastern Ocean to the American shores. Khabarovsk, Khabarovsk book publishing house, 1971.

M.P. Tsapenko. In the Western lands of Kursk and Belgorod. Moscow “Art” 1976

“Russia, a complete geographical description of our fatherland”, T.2, 1902.

  SHELIKHOV Grigory Ivanovich(1747-1795), merchant, entrepreneur, explorer of the North Pacific Ocean, corresponding member. Free Economic Society - the first scientific organization in Russia.

Born into a wealthy family, belonging to an old merchant family. He was educated at home and showed a family inclination towards commerce. In 1773 he came to Irkutsk, started buying furs, became rich, and became a shareholder in eight different companies; his marriage strengthened his financial position. In 1776-1783 G. Shelikhov participated in the affairs of 10 trading enterprises, incl. and in a large state-merchant company.

In 1775 and 1778-1779 G. Shelikhov made two trips to Okhotsk. He began his journey towards the American continent in 1783 from Bering Island (Commanders). He was the first to correctly present the true length (2600 km) of the Komandoro-Aleutian underwater structure. He founded a settlement on Kodiak Island, which for 20 years was the center of Russian America. The hall laid out several more points on the northwestern shores. Alaska.

On Shelikhov's instructions, navigator G. Pribylov set sail and in 1786 discovered a small archipelago, named Shelikhov in honor of the discoverer.

The report on the voyage to the American shores was published in 1789, republished in 1793. The work was translated into German (3rd edition) and English (2nd publication), republished again in Russian in 1971, and in English in 1981.

In 1788, sailors D. Bocharov and G. Izmailov, who were in the service of G. Shelikhov, discovered (partly secondarily after A. Chirikov and D. Cook) approx. 800 km of mainland coastline. Alaska from the Kenai Peninsula to the bay. Lituya, including the hall. Yakutat. The collected materials allowed G. Shelikhov to compile the first detailed ethnographic description of the Kodiak Eskimos (“horses”), as well as the Indians of Alaska and the coastal islands.

He is the author of the plan for the economic development of the Kuril Islands and the project for exploring the Baikal-Amur transport and trade route, which almost coincided with the Baikal-Amur Mainline. The charter of the country's first monopoly joint-stock company, developed by him in 1793-1794, became the basis for creating a set of rules for the Russian-American Company.

Shelikhov's main merit was the actual annexation of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska to Russia's possessions. " For zeal... in the discovery of unknown lands and peoples..."In 1788 he was awarded a silver sword and a gold medal.

In his program for the “reconstruction” of Russian America, G. Shelikhov provided for the establishment of state borders of Russian possessions along the “hard land” and the Pacific Islands, the construction of shipyards, the expansion of foreign trade of the region and the development of its agriculture, and the assignment of lands in California to Russia. In a report (late 1794), he proposed starting the development of a sea route along the Arctic Ocean to establish trade with southern countries.

According to contemporaries, Shelikhov had an extraordinary intelligence and encyclopedic knowledge. He had remarkable abilities as an entrepreneur and organizer, the ability to establish business connections, sense changing situations and take reasonable risks. He was distinguished by excellent knowledge of commercial, industrial and financial issues, slowness and flexibility in decision-making, and intuition.

But this outstanding, almost legendary man, who played a huge role in the Russians’ exploration of the Aleutian Islands and the “creation” of Russian America, was power-hungry and merciless, arrogated to himself the right to “execute and hang” in order to establish discipline in his American trading posts (A. Radishchev called him “Tsar Shelikhov”). The circumstances of his death remain mysterious to this day.

For G. Shelikhov's services to the Fatherland, his widow and nine children, by decree of Paul I, were elevated to the dignity of nobility.

The name of Shelikhov is given to a bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, a strait between Kodiak Island and Alaska, a city in the Irkutsk region. and 4 more small objects.

article from the encyclopedia "The Arctic is my home"

) - Russian merchant, participant and co-owner of merchant fishing companies, founder of Russian America, initiator of the creation.

G.I. Shelikhov: encyclopedic reference

Born into the family of a Rylsk merchant. He was educated at home and became involved in commercial activities at an early age. Having met the rich merchants Golikovs, he arrived in 1773. At first he worked as a clerk for I.L. Golikov, but the following year he organized his own business in company with the Yakut merchant P. Lebedev-Lastochkin. After his marriage in 1775, he organized several trading and fishing companies one after another. In 1781, with the merchants Golikovs, he organized the North-Eastern Company for the fur trade in the Aleutian Islands and off the coast of North America. In 1784 he founded the first Russian settlement on the island. Kodiak, thereby marking the beginning of Russian America. Upon returning to Russia in 1791, he published his notes, which speak of the need to expand the scope of Russian advance in the Pacific region.

Works by Grigory Shelikhov

1. Russian merchant Grigory Shelikhov's journey from Okhotsk along the Eastern Ocean to the American shores. - Khabarovsk, 1971.

Irkutsk Historical and local history dictionary. - Irkutsk: Sib. book, 2011

Founding of the first colonies

In mid-August 1783, Shelikhov with three ships and a crew of 192 people set off towards Alaska. A month later, upon arrival in the New World, having lost one of the ships, the expedition reached the island of Unalaska. Russian fur industrialists, who had already visited these places, dissuaded Shelikhov from establishing settlements here, since shortly before this, local residents had killed an entire group of Russian hunters. However, Shelikhov did not listen to them and founded the first settlement on Kodiak Island. Colonization of the mainland was postponed for security reasons.

Shelikhov intended not to give the local Eskimos the slightest reason for hostile actions, wanting to make them Russian subjects not through fear, but kindly and to their own benefit. He received the first people who dared to visit the Russian settlement very friendly, feeding them and giving them gifts. However, unfortunately for the Russians, a solar eclipse occurred during the visit. The inhabitants of the island were very frightened and took this as an unkind divine sign. The next night they attacked the Russian camp, which, despite superior weapons, was only able to repel the onslaught with difficulty. The next morning, boats filled with warriors began to approach from a neighboring island, going to the aid of the Kodiak Eskimos. It was clear that the Russians would not be able to withstand this superior force for long. Therefore, Shelikhov gave the order to fire at the native settlement from cannons, after which hundreds of them immediately surrendered out of fear of an unknown weapon. Shelikhov ordered the execution of the most militant ones. The rest had to leave their children as hostages and were released. These children were raised together with Russian children, went to school and studied Russian. Despite the difficulties, the Russians eventually managed to establish peaceful relations with the Indians.

Shelikhov supervised construction since 1790. In 1781, Shelikhov founded the Northeast Company, which in 1799 was transformed into the Russian-American Trading Company.

“Columbus of Russia is buried here:
Said the seas, discovered unknown countries;
And it’s in vain that everything in the world is decay,
He sent his sails to the heavenly ocean,
Look for mountain treasures, not earthly ones,
Treasure of the good!
May You rest his soul, O God!”
Gabriel Derzhavin

“As kingdoms fell at Catherine’s feet,
Ross Shelikhov, without troops, without thunderous forces,
Flowed into America through stormy abysses,
And he conquered a new region for her and God,
Don't forget, descendant,
That Ross, your ancestor, was also loud in the East!»
Acting State Councilor Ivan Dmitriev

These lines are contained in the epitaph on the grave of the Russian explorer, navigator, industrialist and merchant Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov.

Grigory Ivanovich was born in 1747, in the city of Rylsk, into the family of a wealthy merchant. And already at a young age he was accustomed to commercial and economic activities. When he was about 28 years old, his parents died, and Shelikhov decided to move to Siberia permanently, because earlier, on behalf of his father, he began to conduct trade business with the Siberians.

In 1773 he came to Irkutsk and a year later he organized his first own business in partnership with a merchant from Yakutia. Merchants who traded in Siberia had already begun to explore the islands in the Pacific Ocean, where the sea beaver lived. Grigory Ivanovich was inspired by their example, going to Kamchatka and returning from there with a large load of furs.

In 1783, Shelikhov, together with his companions, the Golikov brothers, went to the shores of Alaska. At that time, the local population lived there, who managed to kill a group of Russian hunters. In view of this, Grigory Ivanovich was dissuaded from the idea of ​​​​locating on the shore and nearby islands. But the “Russian Columbus” was adamant. He founded the first settlement on Kodiak Island, and planned to colonize the mainland in the future. Shelikhov and his people did not plan to wage hostility with the local population. Moreover, he visited them more than once. However, for some reason (they point to a solar eclipse as a bad omen for the Eskimos), the local population attacked the colonialists. The camp with difficulty repelled the onslaught of the natives, capturing some prisoners.

Expedition ships in Alaska

In 1791, Shelikhov founded the North-Eastern Company, later transformed into the Russian-American Trading Company.

The activities of Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov were recognized. He was awarded a gold medal and a silver sword "for the discovery of islands in the Eastern Ocean." Participated in the construction of new schools, museums and churches. Established good relations with many government officials and researchers. He constantly expanded his business and planned to start trading with China.

Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov died in Irkutsk at the age of 47 and was buried at the Znamensky Convent. His widow, Natalya Shelikhova, erected a marble monument on his grave. He made a huge contribution to the development of new territories, the development of merchants, and the establishment of the city of Irkutsk as a center of trade and culture.

A bay in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, a strait between Alaska and Kodiak Island, a bay on the island of Paramushir, a city are named in honor of Shelikhov. Shelekhov in the Irkutsk region.

The grave of Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov at the Znamensky Convent.

Monuments in Shelekhov and Rylsk

(1747 - 1795)

G. I. Shelikhov 1 is widely known as the “Russian Columbus”, as an enterprising merchant and navigator, the inspirer and organizer of the Russian-American Trade and Fishing Company, the initiator of research and development of the Pacific coast of North America, Alaska, the Kuril and Aleutian Islands. Shelikhov is also known as a far-sighted and energetic Russian patriot, the author of a number of broad projects: geographical expeditions to find islands not on the map, to explore the Russian Far East, to find a sea passage to Baffin Bay.

Shelikhov was one of the first to suggest the idea of ​​a Russian trip around the world. He owns projects for expanding Russian colonization of North America, building new ports on the Okhotsk coast of Russia, expanding Russia’s foreign trade relations with the countries of the Indian and Pacific basins. During his travels and work on the development of Russian America, Shelikhov himself made several outstanding discoveries.

Shelikhov was born into the family of a merchant in the city of Rylsk, Kursk province. The month of birth, as well as the first 26 years of life, are unknown.

By his time, Siberia was “roughly” put on the map and only to a small extent developed by the Russians. The main wealth of Siberia at that time - Siberian furs - was getting more and more difficult from year to year. In search of more abundant fisheries, the Siberian merchants expanded the boundaries of their activities to the east, to the islands of the “Eastern Ocean” that had not yet been affected by the predatory plunder. The highly profitable but risky fishing for sea beavers, fur seals, and walrus tusk, associated with the search for yet unknown islands with animal rookeries, attracted the most courageous and enterprising merchants and industrialists to the Okhotsk and Bering coasts. Shelikhov also became interested in this.

In 1773, he came to “Siberian Petersburg” - the city of Irkutsk and became a clerk for the rich merchant I. L. Golikov, to whom he had a letter of recommendation from his brother, a Kursk merchant. In 1775, Shelikhov moved to Okhotsk and became the organizer of the construction of ships and equipment of expeditions for sea animals to the Aleutian and Kuril Islands, entering into companies with various merchants (Alin, Lebedev-Lastochkin, Golikov, Kozitsyn). In five years - from 1776 to 1781 - under his leadership ten ships were built and a significant number of expeditions were equipped.

Sent by him in company with Lebedev-Lastochkin, navigator Pribilov on the ship “St. George" discovered the islands, called the Pribilof Islands.

During these five years, Shelikhov accumulated significant capital, and most importantly, he studied the business and gained trust in the trading world, especially from his main partner, Golikov.

Possessing remarkable intelligence and insight, Shelikhov soon realized the destructive effect of predatory trades undertaken by small and short-term companies, realized the impossibility of expanding shipping, and saw the hatred of merchants that they themselves incited among the indigenous population of the islands. Then he was the first in Siberia to decide to organize a powerful trading company, operating permanently on the islands of the Pacific Ocean and in America, supported by the government, which would organize trades in a businesslike manner, build industrial settlements and ships on the islands, and develop regular shipping.

In 1781, Shelikhov began organizing this company. Golikov became its shareholder. Three ships were built: the galliots “Three Saints”, “Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess” and “Archangel Michael”. Shelikhov became the head of the expedition to select the location of the company's base on the islands.

According to Shelikhov's plan, the place of the first Russian settlement was supposed to be rich in game animals and located on the most remote land. To do this, he decided to immediately settle, and then expand his voyages and look for new rookeries and new islands.

On August 16, 1783, Shelikhov set off along the Aleutian Islands to the extreme land of Kodiak, then known in the east. Before Shelikhov, it was not established whether it was an island or a peninsula. Almost a year later (two ships wintered on Bering Island) - August 3, 1784 - two of the three ships reached Kodiak.

Shelikhov's expedition was met with hostility by local residents. However, in contrast to foreign invaders who exterminated entire tribes, Shelikhov sought to use local residents for his endeavors. His activities are permeated with concern for the preservation of the indigenous population and maintaining friendly relations with them, and increasing their cultural level. In the first year of his arrival in Kodiak, he founded a school. Shelikhov took the most capable students of the school to Irkutsk for further education.

Shelikhov tried to bring local American residents closer to Russians as quickly as possible, both through cultural communication and family ties.

Shelikhov did all this at his own expense, taking into account state interests. He wrote to the Irkutsk Governor-General: “Time and my meager mind invented this plan, presented to your Excellency, according to which... I set off myself... to the American north-eastern shores... to seek benefits for the fatherland, without in any way setting greed for the object greed and not seeking to distinguish ourselves in this way, but with the sole goal of sacrificing to my dear fatherland with benefit "... "... we must, in order to spread trade and trade in this region and expand the borders of the All-Russian Empire, search all parts of the unknown islands and inhabited in such places, bring peoples into friendship through affectionate treatment...”

By examining Kodiak, Shelikhov established that it was an island. Then industrialists sent by Shelikhov discovered a number of more islands of the Kodiak archipelago, including Afognak. The strait between these islands and Alaska is deservedly named after Shelikhov.

In 1785 - 1786 Shelikhov sent a detachment of industrialists to the north, where they discovered the deep Kenai Bay, the shores of North America, described the shores of Alaska, the Kenai Peninsula, the coast of the continent to Cape St. Elijah and the islands of the Gulf of Alaska.

Shelikhov masterfully developed new lands: he built new settlements and fortresses (the first fortress on Kodiak Island was called Trekhsvyatitelskaya), raised imported livestock, started arable farming, and looked for minerals. Shelikhov repeatedly gave instructions to the company's rulers, navigators, and industrialists: “...immediately make a thorough inventory... describe large and small islands everywhere, bays, rivers, harbors, capes, laidas, ridges, field and visible stones, where in places there is what kind of land, that is, forests, meadows, properties, type and location of the land, in what place and at what time, what kind and in what quantity, what kind of land there is, where there are fish in the fishery, what they hunt for it, what kind of animals are there where , also at what time and how they hunt. Note all kinds of living plants... The main thing is to describe each vein, where and on which vein to know the number of people, and make a census of the male and female sex, the number of souls, with a description, although approximate, of who is what age. Every river, lake, housing, islands, in a word, every place in the inventory should be supplied with letters that will indicate the most accuracy on the plans. The names should be written according to the strength of the name of all the places of the local inhabitants; and do not disfigure with your names, so that everything can be found by the ranks of the inhabitants.”

Shelikhov encourages geographical research and all sorts of discoveries: he is given a bonus (over and above the company's fee) of 1000 rubles. for the discovery and description of each new island.

He also took care of the wide popularization of the riches of the new lands and their attractions in Russia, and of ethnographic research.

In 1786, leaving most of the people who arrived with him under the leadership of K. A. Samoilov, Shelikhov set off on the return journey, taking with him representatives of several Alaskan Indians, Aleuts, Eskimos, as well as various sights of America.

On his way to Kamchatka, he visited the Kuril Islands, collecting detailed information about the entire ridge and deciding to settle on these islands in the future.

In Kamchatka, Shelikhov met a ship of the English East India Company and started trading with it, leaving an order to his clerk to continue to maintain trade relations with foreigners if their ships were in Kamchatka.

From Kamchatka Shelikhov left for Okhotsk on dogs, detouring that bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, which later received the name Shelikhov Bay.

In the winter of 1787, Shelikhov arrived in Irkutsk, drew up a detailed memo to the Governor-General about his trip, attached several documents and instructions to his employees, drew up a project for organizing a monopoly American trade company with foreigners, and petitioned for the official annexation of the American coast to Russia.

Shelikhov’s note to the Governor-General served as material for the publication of the book “The Russian merchant of the eminent Rylsk citizen Grigory Shelikhov...” This book, published in 1791 without Shelikhov’s knowledge, was a huge success and was translated into English and German. In 1792, the second edition of this book, “The Russian merchant Grigory Shelikhov’s continuation of his wanderings...” was published.

In the note and in the projects, Shelikhov reveals a broad outlook: “... This trade through the Seas of Okhotsk and Kamchatka produces considerable profits for the treasury and traders, and since it can bring prosperity to the local region, since through this trade the high cost can be averted... will flow down there from everywhere merchants and every people, over time, numerous, and that most distant region will flourish to greatness and nobility in the light of commerce and cultivation of the land, ... further knowledge can spread to establish our borders along the North-Eastern Ocean to the most distant limits ... where yet... no European power has its own establishments.”

Shelikhov was one of the first to pay attention to the expansion of foreign voyages with the aim of seizing colonies in the Pacific Ocean and strenuously sought to get ahead of them.

In 1788, having secured the support of the Irkutsk Governor-General, Shelikhov and Golikov turned to Catherine IIwith a petition to approve a monopoly on American possessions, to allow trade with foreigners and the annexation of discovered new lands to Russia, as well as appropriations for further searches for new lands.

But at that time Russia was at war with Turkey and Sweden, and Catherine feared complications with England and China. Therefore, she rejected the projects presented by Shelikhov and Golikov and only ordered that the merchants be awarded swords and gold medals around their necks for their discoveries and diligence.

Understanding the award as approval of his actions, Shelikhov further expanded his activities to strengthen his possessions and explore the islands in America without government assistance.

He selected intelligent, energetic, and courageous sailors and leaders of the company's affairs in America. These rulers - first Delarov, then Baranov - expanded exploration of Alaska and the shores of America all the way to California. Navigators Izmailov and Bocharov discovered new islands and wrote their descriptions. Everything was done in detail, with the expectation of many years to come. Iron boards with the inscriptions: “Land of Russian possession” were installed everywhere on the banks. In many places, copper boards with the same inscription were buried in the ground. The coasts from Alaska to California were described, villages and fortresses were built in the most convenient places, and cattle breeding and arable farming were widely introduced. At the same time, Shelikhov instructed Baranov “to think of a machine with which it would be convenient to dig the ground.” Shelikhov took great care to ensure that the settlements were beautiful, with comfortable houses and clean air. He was especially concerned about the development of shipbuilding in America, fully understanding the importance of external relations and planning to send ships with goods to China, Malaya, Indonesia, and India.

In 1790 - 1793 Shelikhov, in addition to the Northeast American, organized three more companies: Predtechenskaya, operating on the Pribilof and Lisikh islands, Unalaskinskaya, located on the island of Unalaska, and North American, whose task was to create and strengthen settlements on the islands of the Bering Sea and on the northern, then completely unexplored coast of Alaska, as well as to find a sea or land passage to Baffin Bay.

Shelikhov also took the initiative in settling the Kuril Islands with Russians. In 1795, he sent 20 industrialists and four peasant families to the 18th Kuril Island (Urup).

Aware of the enormous importance for Russia of a strategic outpost in the form of the Kuril ridge, Shelikhov, despite Catherine’s warning IInot to start a dispute over these islands with other powers, took upon himself the courage and risk of securing the Kuril Islands for Russia.

Shelikhov's capital grew rapidly. In the shortest possible time, he became the richest merchant in Siberia, but at the same time his trade affairs were inextricably combined with the benefits for Russia and for geographical research. None of his contemporaries contributed so much initiative to the exploration of newly discovered lands at their own expense, to strengthening the borders of Russia and the development of new lands. He believed that the American possessions were to become a new region of Russia - "Slavorossia" - with cities, shipyards, industry and agriculture superior to Siberia.

American possessions, thousands of kilometers away from the center of Russia, required many different goods. Finding new convenient routes to America was one of Shelikhov’s most important concerns. Traveling through roadless Siberia and especially communicating with its northeastern outskirts was extremely difficult. In this regard, Shelikhov had the idea of ​​finding and exploring part of the Northern Sea Route from the mouth of the Lena to North America and through the Bering Strait, and even about circumnavigating the world: “...As your Excellency knows, one thousand thirteen miles from Yakutsk to Okhotsk are being transported all the hardships... Yakuts on horseback... quite often, due to the rainfall that occurs, they throw luggage on the road... since the places are empty, rocky and swampy and often impassable, so are the rivers... But things transported there by sea are not only cheaper... but always in sufficient quantities... can be delivered there...". He had already found people for the first task in 1790.

At the same time, he sought to improve existing ways of exploring the Far East. In November 1794, Shelikhov drew up a “most humble report” to the Irkutsk Governor-General I. A. Pil with a request to allow him to carry out an expedition to find a more convenient place for the construction of a port than Okhotsk, and also to give him “skilled people whom I would send could along the mane of that permanent ridge, which stretches east from Baikal itself... from such an expedition this benefit will be that we will find out the location between the Amur and between the peaks of the Vitim, Olekma, Aldan and Mai rivers, for these places to this day remain completely unexplored by us and undescribed... And as such an expedition must have all the necessary... benefits and expenses, then I accept these for myself and willingly sacrifice the required amount for the benefit of the fatherland...” But Shelikhov failed to carry out this expedition. Only Soviet people managed to describe these places and discover enormous mineral wealth in them.

Shelikhov was the initiator and organizer of A. Laxman's expedition to Japan in 1792, not only to establish trade relations, but also to describe Japan. Trade could not be established, but the expedition collected valuable information about Japan. In 1795 Shelikhov was preparing a new expedition to Japan. But this expedition did not take place, since on July 20, 1795, at the 48th year of his life, in full bloom and with amazing energy and breadth of activity, Shelikhov died in Irkutsk.

A worthy successor and continuer of Shelikhov’s work was A. A. Baranov, who continued to expand settlements and research in America.

Contemporaries and descendants had different assessments of Shelikhov as a personality and figure. There was often talk about his cruelty, the pursuit of personal benefits, the exploitation of the American population and exiles, etc. All this to some extent could have taken place, since it corresponded to the spirit of that time, but in general the activities of Shelikhov, an exceptional man for his age, a remarkable figure and patriot, was progressive and democratic. Concerns about the native population and the resettlement of Russians to America, who sought to get rid of serfdom, speak of the progressive direction of the colonization of Russian America. This is confirmed by the fact that the Decembrists showed great interest in Russian colonization in America. Some Decembrist sailors dreamed of making independent trips around the world on the company's ships. The Decembrists Ryleev (former director of the Company), Kuchelbecker, Zavalishin, Romanov were associated with the activities of the Russian-American Company. The Company House at one time served as the headquarters of the Decembrists for their meetings; Meetings of the leaders of the Decembrists sometimes took place there.

Shelikhov's services to Russian geographical science are invaluable. His numerous instructions, projects, reports and requests, bold plans, descriptions of new lands, prudent orders of a state scale, instructions, which were programs for the geographical study of open lands, constitute an interesting work. Unfortunately, many documents characterizing Shelikhov as the organizer and leader of the first geographical descriptions and compiler of maps of North-West America and the adjacent islands and the first organizer of geographical research have not yet been sufficiently studied.

Derzhavin’s poems are carved on the monument to Shelikhov in Irkutsk:

“Columbus of Russia is buried here,

Sailed the seas, discovered unknown countries..."

On the other side of the monument are carved the words of I. I. Dmitriev:

“...Ross Shelikhov, without troops, without thunderous forces,

Flowed into America through stormy abysses...

Don't forget, descendant,

That Ross - your ancestor was loud in the east too.”

Source---

Domestic physical geographers and travelers. [Essays]. Ed. N. N. Baransky [and others] M., Uchpedgiz, 1959.